The Zafara Assassin 3: Swamplands of Tisitan
by meratocat
Summary: book 2 of the TZA3 series. Dorono meets new creatures and continues to try and complete his quest.
1. book 2: Strange Meetings

The Zafara Assassin 3: Swamplands of Tisitan By: meratocat  
  
Part 1  
  
The future is always uncertain, so the form of help which you will find there is too. uncertain. Sometimes the ones who help you the most are the ones that others think are the most deadly, the most vicious, while other times they may be the ones who no one would expect to rebel. Any way they are all destined to come together in some way or another.  
  
Book 2: Strange Meetings  
  
I awoke the next day before sunrise, with a cool chill running down my back. I opened up my green eyes, and looked down at the bundle of fur at my feet, and smiled. Apparently Zana Taru had crawled up next to me while I slept, for there she was nestled up against my fur, slightly shivering.  
  
I thought about what it was like to her, being so young, yet strung out on a journey so hard. I knew that she would see it through though. Though young, Zana Taru was very stout, and strong-willed.  
  
I slowly slid out from her grasp, careful not to wake her, and then looked out at the rising of the sun. Soon we would have to set out again. As a large whisper of air blew over me, I sighed wishing that I had taken the time to grab Zarrel's pack. I myself could find food almost anywhere, but I wasn't sure about Zana Taru.  
  
I stretched out, and let out a large yawn, and then I started making my way towards a cluster of bushes, which had little red fruits in them, which by their smell seemed edible. I picked a handful from the bushes, and then upon tasting one, found it to be quite sweet, so I dug in, and ate several more until I was full. Then I grabbed as many as I could carry, and walked back over to Zana Taru.  
  
As I walked over, I smiled at Zana, fast asleep, and then I dropped the whole bunch of berries right upon her, "You better eat up. We shall leave within the hour." And then I turned from her to look up at the sun, and then whispered. "I shall save you Zarrel Charmain. my friend."  
  
Zana Taru finished her breakfast leaving a mess of the berries left. "What will we do with all the extra berries?" She asked, looking up to me for an answer.  
  
"I don't know. I can do just fine without food for up to a week, and I don't feel like lugging around food if I am not going to eat it myself." I said. Really I had no idea what to do with the leftovers.  
  
Zana pushed her finger into her fur, thinking. "I got it!!!" Zana yelled jumping into the air.  
  
"What?" I asked, but she didn't answer me, instead she started to take off her jacket, which she wore over a smaller vest. Slightly sticking her tongue from the side of her mouth, she twisted the sleeves around, and around her hood. Then she tied the sleeves into a knot, and lifted up her final product.  
  
"Clever." I said smiling, for she was. She had turned her jacket into a bag. "Though won't you be cold during the night? It shall only get colder as we make our way north." And as I said this, a large gust of wind ruffled up my fur.  
  
"I'll be fine." She said packing the leftover berries into the 'bag' and then walked over to me. "Now are we going to go save mother?"  
  
I laughed. "Just hop on."  
  
Soon we were soaring through the sky, headed northward once again, though not without problems. The wind was getting stronger as I flew, and soon it was starting to make me falter while I flew. The wind was tearing through my feathers, and Zana Taru was bent double, clutching my main as hard as her hands allowed her, making her knuckles go white. She sat shivering upon my back, but didn't say a word about being cold; probably too worried about holding on I thought.  
  
"We have hit a storm!!!" I tried to yell over the wind to Zana as I was starting to be pulled back and forth by the strong wind.  
  
"You must land!" She screamed to me. "We can't kill ourselves!!!"  
  
"No!!!" I said still flying. "We can't give up on Zarrel, we have no idea how long this storm will last, and weather or not it lessens farther up." I said still flapping my wings. I would not give up, and so I kept on flying.  
  
As I flew onward, the storm didn't get better. It only got worse, way worse. The wind blew past my ears, screaming as it went, and pulling my wings this way and that. Zana was now holding on for dear life as all sorts of dust, grime, and other debris blew into our faces. With my eyes half opened, I swerved this way and that to try and avoid the larger particles of stuff which flew past me.  
  
With a large gust of wind, my wings finally gave out under me, and I was thrown right into a branch that was being blown by the strong winds. Even though the branch was small, it was going really fast enough, and hit just the right place to make me go spinning out of control. I flipped this way and that, my wings flailing uselessly at my sides. I lost all sense of direction as I continued that frenzied spin. That was when Zana fell from my back with a scream, then I lost her in the twilight of the wind.  
  
Up was down, and down was up; the whole world spun before me, and I felt like I was going to puke if I spun any longer. My wish was then granted, and I was tossed full force right into a tree, and then fell to the ground. My wings pained horribly, and I couldn't move the rest of myself. A dark haze started to settle across my vision, and I let out a weak squawk as I plummeted into a deep darkness. I had failed Zarrel Charmain. I had lost to the storm; I had lost Zana Taru.  
  
***  
  
Zana Taru opened up her eyes, and then closed them again, thinking of the dream that she had had last night. She had dreamt that her mother was going to die if she and Dorono did not get a special flower. Then as they were flying, she lost Dorono into the abyss, while she herself fell into a large thorn bush.  
  
Zana opened her eyes, looking at all the brambles that surrounded her, and held her fast to the large bush that she was in, and then a tear slipped down her cheek. She really did want to believe that what had happened was a dream, but she knew it to not be true. What happened had, and from what she saw, Dorono had died. Now it was up to her to save her mother, but how? She had no idea of where she was, and even if she did, where could she find the flower of Trinifucus. She knew that it was in the North, and by the ocean side, but Zana had no idea which way was North.  
  
Zana tried to pull herself from the bush without scraping her skin upon the many thorns, but luck was against her, for by the time she got out she was covered with little thorns. Zana Taru began to flail her arms about trying to get the thorns off, for they burned her like many fire ants crawling up her pant legs. She looked down, and then let out a yelp of fright, for there upon her legs were many fire ants; she was standing in the middle of their anthill.  
  
With a cry of pain, Zana ran headless of the thorns catching in her hair, for all she wanted was out. Once far away from the burning ants, she sat down, and began to cry, a long drawn out wale. "Why didn't I listen to Dorono, and just stay back home with father?!?" She cried. "Why???"  
  
"Well, I'm sure you could answer that question of yours better yourself." A voice sounded from up in the trees.  
  
"Wha!!!" Zana Taru said in surprise jumping up, and looking around, seeing nothing. "Who said that?!?"  
  
"Use yer eyes. Why do you think you've got them?"  
  
Zana Taru looked up into the trees at two emerald green eyes that were smiling at her, and she fell back with a start. The voice that belonged to the eyes then began to laugh. The voice was feminine, yet strong. Powerful, yet carefree. "Who are you?" Zana asked again.  
  
"If you mean my name, well it's Tron. Tron Bonne."  
  
Zana looked wide mouthed up into the tree. Tron Bonne. It was a strange name to her ears. It sounded nothing like a normal pets name. "Your name." Zana said. "It's."  
  
"Different? Yeah, I know. That's because I'm different myself."  
  
"What are you?" Zana asked, all fear gone from her now. Whatever was up there didn't sound evil or dangerous, but sounds like looks can be deceiving. "Show yourself!"  
  
"If you insist!" The voice rang out. Suddenly, from the tree a girl dropped, but she was no ordinary girl. Upon her back were large bat-like wings, and her hair was a dark purple, with lime green stripes going through it. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, which rippled down her back. She wore a long black and violet dress, and high heel shoes. She spread out her hands, looking at Zana who stood flabbergasted. "Well."  
  
"You're a faerie." Zana said at last. She had heard much tell of faeries. Though she didn't really know that any existed, and she never expected to meet one face to face; especially not this type of faerie. This faerie was a faerie of darkness. Zana slit her eyes as she saw the sword belt upon the dark faerie Tron's waist. She had heard much tell about these faeries. They were evil, rotten to the core, and wouldn't hesitate to kill you at all. Zana reached down to the ground, and picked up a large rock, and then pulled back her hand, ready to release the stone if Tron tried anything at all. "Don't you come any closer you element of evil!"  
  
At this, Tron took a step back like she had been punched in the face. Zana looked up into the faerie's eyes, and saw an expression of sadness, though it was quickly replaced with the same carefree look that had been upon Tron's face the whole time before. She reached down, and pulled her sword from its shelf, and then upon swinging it above Zana's head, replaced it with a smile. "If I was so evil, I could have killed you right then." Then Tron let out a sigh. "Nowadays, everyone gets cut out for just their looks."  
  
Zana Taru looked up into Tron's face, and finally realized that she was right. Just because she was born a dark faerie did not mean that she was evil. Just like the fact that her mother was the top assassin in the land did not make her evil either. Zana's frown then turned into a smile, "Sorry." She said slowly, and Tron laughed.  
  
"No problem Kiddo." Then she looked deep into Zana's eyes, "You know what? You remind me of someone. A friend of mine; also a purple zafara. We had so many misadventures together." And Tron laughed once again. "Bunny." She said. "Bunny Ketsotsu. That was her name." And Tron smiled as her eyes seamed to go far away, then they quickly zoomed back to Neopia. "You know what kid? You remind me of her, ya do. Her and I had many misadventures together. What is yer name kid?" Tron asked looking down once more upon Zana Taru.  
  
"It's Zana." She said, "Zana Taru."  
  
"Zana Taru!" the dark faerie said with a smile. "So your not all to good yourself, or at least so I would presume, knowing the fact that your mother is who she is."  
  
"How do you know my mother?"  
  
"Most creatures around here do." Tron said with a laugh, "Though of course I have my own ways of finding out news. Now that I know who you are, I'm curious. Why are you out here in this dangerous land instead of in the woods were you live?"  
  
Zana Taru looked down, and shuffled her feet. Though Tron seemed nice enough, she did not want to give out any information in case appearances were false. "It's a long story." She slowly said, hoping that the faerie would drop it; she didn't.  
  
"Tell me, I have plenty of time to spare."  
  
"Well I don't!" Zana roared, suddenly becoming quite fierce. "I am on an important mission, that cannot wait for sake of lives being lost." Then she cooled down. "Though I doubt that I shall ever save her now. I don't know where the flower is, and even if I did, I have no way to get there after Dorono passed away through the winds." Zana said softly to herself more then Tron.  
  
"A quest eh?" Tron said smiling. "And who is this Dorono, and what about the flower?" Apparently, Tron was not going to drop it anytime soon.  
  
"He is my friend! Or at least he was. Now I think that he is dead. Dorono." She whispered, and a tear started to drop down her cheek, but the Zana lifted her head, sheer determination around her. "My quest is to save my mother, if you must know, and in order to do so, I must find the flower of Trinifucus! Only I have lost my ride. My friend and hers; Dorono the eyrie. During the storm of yester eve, he and I were blown from each other, and the last thing I remember. the last thing was his screech, which sounded as the cry of a rabbit before it dies."  
  
"Now we're getting somewhere." Tron said, acting untouched. "How can you be sure though that your friend is dead? Surely if you live he would have a better chance, with wings and all."  
  
Zana Taru looked up at the Faerie. What she said was true. Up until then, she had not given thought to the fact that Dorono could still be alive, but now that she did, she saw that chances were that he was.  
  
Zana Taru had made up her mind. She would not leave until she had found Dorono. Dead of living was up to fate. "I shall go to find Dorono!"  
  
"I'll come too." Tron said walking up to Zana with a smile. "I don't have much else to do besides sit around, so I might as well do something." And then Tron grabbed a hunk of her baggy clothes. "Though I would suggest a change of cloths from you before we go. Something to make you look more fierce." And then she rubbed her hand over Zana Taru's hair with a large smile on her face.  
  
Zana Taru smiled up at the dark faerie. Perhaps they weren't as bad as rumors let on after all. 


	2. 2

Part 2  
  
Everything was a swirling cloud of pain. My head, my body, my beak, my wings, my tail! All full of pain. There was also that sound. that constant buzzing which wouldn't leave my mind.  
  
I opened my eyes, and saw the whole world as a blur for several seconds before my vision cleared up. It was night, or so I thought. Either that, or I had lost my sight, but then I saw the moon, and that was proof enough for me.  
  
It was then that I realized that I was on my back, and more then that, I was laying upon my wing which now, as feeling started to re-enter my body, was filled with a searing pain, and all went black once more.  
  
I woke up several hours later, or so I guessed by the fact that the moon was so low in the sky. The buzzing in my ears had stopped, but the pain in my body was still just as bad. I slowly stood up, wincing as a bolt of hurt passed through me once more. I would be lucky if my wing was anything less then broken.  
  
Suddenly, a deep realization of what had happened sank into me. I thought back to the night before, and how Zana Taru fell from my back as I plummeted. Right then, to me, all hope of her living ceased. I looked down towards the ground, smelling the wet dirt as I walked. I never should have let her come with me. Now because of that folly, she was no more but a memory, lost in the twilights of the world. Now I had to continue the journey. but this time alone.  
  
I slowly walked across the ground, still mushy from the nights rain. As I walked I tried to concentrate upon the squish squashing of my paws in the mud, and tried to ignore the pain of my wing, which I was slightly dragging, for to fold it against my side was quite painful. There were still many clouds above my head, but as I walked, I was glad for the fact that the rain had stopped, and then I continued to walk in what I guessed was North.  
  
I walked on through the swampy lands, the trees above my head becoming more twisted with each step, and my sword became a heavy burden at my side. With each steep, I told myself that the flower of Trinifucus could just be over the nest hill, or past the next tree, as to keep myself from giving up. I walked until my feet were brown from muck, and my wing ached with pain. Then I gave up. I fell to the ground, and gave up hope of ever finding the flower, and of saving Zarrel.  
  
I placed my head under my large paws, as if it could hide the many tears that threatened to come. Tears for Zana, tears for Zarrel, and even tears for myself. However, a rumble saved me from those tears. I looked up into the sky, at the many gray and black clouds, and then upon hearing another rumble, stood up. Soon it would rain.  
  
As another rumble sounded, I quickened my search for some shelter from the incoming rain. I strongly doubted the existence of any caves in that area of Neopia, and none of the trees looked as if they could keep me even moderately dry. All of them were shaped so strangely that the water would all end up on my head, and the most normal of them all seemed to be leafless, leaving me coverless.  
  
By mere luck I managed to find a safe haven to go to. A large, exceptionally twisted tree had become hallowed out over time, by what I could only guess at, but as a raindrop spattered upon my beak, all I could care about was shelter, so I jumped right in, and tried to get into a comfortable position, and then I slept.  
  
I woke up to the sound of scuffling. Outside if still was night, and the rain was coming down harder then ever, making visibility around zero. I looked out into the night, trying to see what had made the sound, but could find noting, so scouting back farther into the hallow, I tried to keep awake, but fell victim to my weariness and let sleep take over me.  
  
I awoke once more that night, and that time managed to catch the glimpse of a large yellowish eye, before it blinked out with a hiss at my stare. That time I managed to stay awake a little longer, but sure enough I fell asleep, but that time it was peaceful, and uninterrupted.  
  
The morning came, and as it happened to be, I was positioned perfectly to get the first of the sun's light directly in my eyes. I groaned at this, and with a failing attempt to cover my eyes, remembered the night before, and quickly decided that it would be best to get a safe distance from where I was. Whatever it was that was out there may not be friendly at all, so I stood up, and started walking away.  
  
As I walked, I noticed something, my wing felt a lot better from the night before, though it still hurt a great deal, and I managed to fold it up against my side with hardly a grimace. With a smile from this, I looked around at my surrounding. The whole of Tisitan actually looked quite peaceful in the morning with the light shimmering through the thin cloud of mist which hung over the swamp from the rain of the night. Small puddles littered the ground, making some areas even mushier then was usual for a swamp, and all the trees seemed to turn upwards to catch the mornings light, or perhaps the last few droplets of dew. Also there was the sound of peace, here and there a late bug would let loose a chirrup, and the morning birds which let out their happy chirps at the ending of the rain, and the face of the sun.  
  
I smiled up at a whoot, which flew into a nest full of little whootlings which creed at their mothers return. Looking up at all of this, though, I failed to see the gray shadow which passed behind me, one bright big glowing yellow eye staring at me trying to decipher the intruder, but as I stepped upon a stick, jumped into the thickets with less sound then the beats of an owl's wings.  
  
As I walked, I became so engrossed with my surroundings that I failed to notice that I was walking into a trap until it was too late. I was walking soundly when suddenly, I was lifted off the ground, and with a large yelp- like sound, realized that I was hanging upside-down by my back legs.  
  
I tried to shake myself free from the entanglement, but it seemed that with each shake of my leg, I only became more entangled. Soon I stopped trying to free myself by wiggling around, for it did no help to me, and then tried to think of a way out.  
  
I thought of my sword, and how it could cut the rope from my feet, but upon reaching to my side for it, found it to be gone. I looked down at the ground, and then let out a cry of dismay, for it had fallen from its scabbard when I had been yanked up by my feet. But then, with a crafty smile, remembered my natural weapon, my claws. On my right paw, I let them all out, and then with much effort, began to pull myself up towards my hind feet. I reached up my paw as close as it would go, and still was off by a few mere inches, so then after dropping back down to catch my breath, tried once more. That time I made it, scarcely, but I still made it. I slashed the vine rope with my claws, and upon its breaking, fell down to the ground with a crash.  
  
I was dazed by the sudden crash to the ground, so as it took a few seconds of staggering around before I noticed something. I looked around, and saw several eyes watching me intently. I started to back up slowly, remembering my sword, which still lay point down, embedded in the ground behind me. If I were to face a danger, I would want a weapon to protect myself.  
  
Slowly, I backed towards where my sword lay, keeping my eyes upon the ones staring directly at me, sure that I would sooner or later come close enough to my weapon to pick it up. As I backed up, I did not however come to my sword, but instead I ran into something hard and smooth at eh same time.  
  
With a start, I turned my head to see a large krawk standing there, mouth half open revealing a long row of teeth, all sharpened to a pinpoint. Where I could see his scales I saw them to be green in color, but most of him was covered with a greenish sort of mud, and small leaves, probably why I hadn't seen him before. Though under his eyes, there were three lines of orange paint, but the worst thing was that in his hand, he held my sword.  
  
I let out a growl, "Give that back." I said slowly, drawing out each word to try and emphasis my anger. "Or else I will take it from you."  
  
The krawk smiled an evil grin, and then put his claws to his lips, and made a strange call which sounded like that of a whoots, and then took a few steps back. I had hardly even taken a single step towards him when I found myself surrounded by around ten more of the krawks, all of which seemed to materialize from the ground due to the strange coverings they had on, and each with a spear in his hand.  
  
The first krawk with the orange face paint stepped up to me once more. "You are impossibly outnumbered. With just another call I can have another score of my people upon your back. I would suggest that you just give in quietly, and answer any questions that we ask." I growled towards them, but inside I knew, there was no other choice for me but to go along. I could not fight them off, and even if I could, I was too weak to do so. 


	3. 3

Part 3  
  
The krawks bound my paws, not so tight as to that I couldn't move them, but they still bound them fairly tight. Two krawks stood to either side of me, and if I ever slowed, they gave me a slap on my flank with the flat of their weapons.  
  
We walked for probably almost an hour before we came upon a village, which I guessed to be home to the krawks. There were many huts all littered around a cleared out area. The funny thing was that at first there seemed to be no one there, but as we walked into the confines of the village I noticed eyes looking out at me, and small whispered voices, but besides the krawks that led me, I saw no others.  
  
The krawk with the orange face paint turned to face me, "We are going in to see the head of our village, and if you try anything funny while we are in there, I have given my men orders to stab you through the heart on a moments notice. Hear me good eyrie, all you are to do is to answer our questions." And with that I was led inside of a hut, larger then all the others.  
  
As I walked in there was a hiss, "Who is it that you bring in here! An outsider!" and then a large brown krawk jumped in front of my face, and then hissed looking at my belt, and my sword, which the krawk with the orange face paint was holding. "Kill him! He must be a spy of the white kougra! Khsssss." The brown krawk hissed grabbing a spear from one of the other krawks, and preparing to shot it into my flesh.  
  
"Stop Taloum!" said a female red krawk stepping up. "Killing any outsider who comes into our realm won't bring back Kath."  
  
The brown krawk recoiled at the mention of that name, and then backed away from my face, and sat down in a chair. For a second his eyes looked ready to tear before becoming a burning red inferno once more. "Thiowa, look at his belt and sword. They have materials, which only come from the high mountain where the white kougra lives. That proves that he is part of that group, that he is a murderer deserving death. We cannot let him go crawling back to that demon of a kougra, reporting our location. He has already slaughtered many of our people including our father, and. and."  
  
"And Kath." Thiowa the red krawk said slowly. "I know that Jown destroyed so much of our family, but we cannot let it lead us to murder without reason, can we? The eyrie may have stolen the items from one of Jown's men for his own use, and he could hate that kougra with all his heart for all we know right now. I am just asking you brother to act fairly, and give him a chance, at least to state his case." She pleaded with Taloum the brown krawk, her amber eyes sparkling with a touch of gold.  
  
Taloum looked into Thiowa's pleading amber eyes, and then with a sigh said, "Tomorrow. tomorrow, I will hear him." Then he glared at me with hatred, "But don't expect any mercy from me you winged rat! Your fellows killed my son, and my love, my Kath. If it weren't for my loving sisters mercy, you would be dead now." Then Taloum turned to the krawk with the orange face paint, "Heshrou, take this. scum, into the dungeons. Yes, and bind him tightly, with meager portions. Better then he deserves." Taloum added looking into my eyes before with a swish of his tail turning, and heading off down the corridor of the dwelling.  
  
Heshrou looked down at me with a depressed look, and then he looked up once more, tall and proud, but I could still see the sadness in his eyes as he turned to his men. "You heard Taloum, off to the dungeons with this eyrie." And then he along with a few others led me off.  
  
They took me to the outskirts of the village, to a beat-up looking building made of mud brick, and then they pulled me inside. They slowly opened up the door, and as they did, the horrid stench of within came flooding into my nostrils. It smelt of grime, and decay, but even so, Heshrou and his men forced me inward.  
  
The groans of pets filled the air, and my ears fell to the side of my head as I looked at a bony krawk who was chained to the wall. I looked up at Heshrou trying to figure out in my mind how he could bear this burden of condemning pets to death, but when I looked into his eyes; two large orbs bearing the pains of doing this ritual many times past. The light blanked off of them, and I saw the wetness of their insides, but then he noticed me looking at him, and he quickly looked away, and when he looked back, his eyes were carefully held almost close. Here was one who hated his job, but knew how to make it look as if he didn't.  
  
They locked me away in a large cell, and as I later learned was better then most that you receive. Heshrou's men walked away leaving Heshrou standing alone with me. His green scales were shimmering with the little bit of light in the room, much better then when he had first grabbed me with all that mud over him. The spike-like hair of his was orange, and two of them upon his head were pierced with small golden rings, one with an emerald jewel upon it. His arms were crossed over a brown jerkin that he wore over a whitish shirt. "It appears that Thiowa has taken a liking to you eyrie." He said, and I saw the start of a smile as he mentioned the red krawk mistress, though it quickly disappeared, and turned to a sad look. "Though I doubt that it matters much, not with Taloum as your judge anyways. He may seem bad, but he's not really. His story is a sad one, and not for the telling of now." Then with a swish of his tail he turned, but then seeming to remember something looked back at me. "The food may be bad, but I'll try and get the cook to make you something. I, well." then he looked around as if looking for a spy, then he turned back and whispered, "I wish you luck tomorrow. I believe you, it's in your eyes you know." Then with a quick wink he turned away from the room.  
  
Heshrou was true to his word. Sure enough, a servant came in with a tray of soup-like stuff. Like he said, it wasn't very good, but I was so hungry that I ate it quickly without complaint, and then with a small bow, the servant collected my empty bowl, and took it back to the kitchens, and I just lay there, and tried to get a bit of sleep.  
  
Visions of Zarrel and Kirin and their two youngsters whirled around my head as I slept. Strange to have a peaceful night in a most dour of situations. I was woken up by something rubbing against my side. I opened my eyes, and saw a large yellow eye looking right at me.  
  
I bounded up, to try and find out what it was that assaulted me, but with a slight croon, the thing bounded away like lightning, and disappeared in a small opening in the wall, hardly big enough for my paw. I looked at that spot for what seemed an eternity until I decided that it was not to come back, and then I turned to lie back down. There next to me however was a small note, which I picked up and read.  
  
Dear eyrie whom resides in this cell,  
  
I have had enough of the krawk Taloum's antics to last a  
lifetime, and so I will finally stand up against him. At one  
time he was a wise and honorable ruler of our village, but after  
the loss of his beloved Kath, he practically lost his mind, and  
spends more time feeling sorry for himself then he does thinking  
of ways to protect the village, which I am worried will come  
under siege of Jown soon.  
  
Only a couple others and myself have been able to see what has  
happened. All the rest either are too loyal to Taloum to notice,  
or else are too afraid of what he will do to them if he finds  
out, for in his grief he has started ruling with an iron fist. I  
cannot just wait here for him to kill us all, so a good friend  
and myself have decided to escape.  
  
I cannot say who we are in case this message is not received by  
you, but one thing I can say is that my friend and I are  
important enough that we can't just slip out the backdoor  
without anyone seeing, but we won't give up and will escape  
tonight, and with you too eyrie. He will kill you tomorrow, that  
is sure, and I can't just let him do that, so I have talked my  
friend into getting you out also my friend, for I believe your  
story.  
  
Stay at your cell door, we will get there as soon as we can, but  
you must be awake, and ready to run if necessary. Good luck.  
  
~Anonymous~  
  
'Weird' I thought to myself, but even so, if this message were to be true, it would mean that I had my passageway out of this forsaken place. So I walked over by the door, and waited, waited for whoever my rescuer may be.  
  
I have no idea how long I waited. It may have been several hours, or it may have been ten minutes, but it still seemed an eternity before I heard the first sound of anyone coming. I heard the rustle of keys, and the small tap tapping of claws ringing against the rocky ground. So I knew one thing, if that was my rescuer, that he was a krawk.  
  
He paused outside of my cell door, and I silently cursed the fact that their wasn't enough light to see more as with a jingle, the krawk unlocked my cell door. He walked in a few steeps, and then laid a black-gloved hand upon my shoulder. I looked up at him, able to see him because of the close distance between us. Now that I saw him, it really didn't matter much that I could. His face was covered with a black veil that made it impossible to see more then just his eyes. The rest of him was also covered with the baggy black clothing. Even so, with a gloved claw to the spot where his mouth should be indicated silence, and then with a motion of the hand, which said 'follow me' he started on his way out. I followed.  
  
He walked through the passages and around areas where we would most likely not be noticed like he had been there many times before. 'Probably a guard or one of military position who has to take creatures down here often' I though looking up at him, even though his flowing movements made him look a little too graceful to be just a military personnel, but I should know. Appearances could sometimes be deceiving, for all I knew he might just be a hired assassin from someone to get my head. I never let any option pass my mind.  
  
He stopped in a room filled with all sorts of stuff. Most of it just trash taken from prisoners, but even so there was some pretty good weaponry in the room. "Here ya go. You'll probably need this." He said in a scratchy whisper, almost like he didn't talk much, and then he tossed me a sword. My sword, I saw looking upon the etched out picture of Zarrel and I upon the handle. I turned to mouth a thank you, but the krawk had already started on his way, and I silently, but quickly went after him.  
  
He then led me around a few more turns before coming before the door, which led outside. "My friend in out there. In the bushes." And then he started to walk out the door, but a yellow krawk came out in front of him holding out a sword.  
  
"Who are you!" He hissed, and then looked at me with a scowl. "Jail break is it?" and he held out his sword in a stance. "Give yourselves up, or else prepare to fight." All my guide did in response to this was pull out a gold handled raspier out of the folds of cloth that created his garments. "So it is a fight." said the yellow krawk, and then they prepared for battle.  
  
My guide fought with all the skill of Zarrel Charmain, and I didn't even need to pull out my blade by the time he had knocked the blade from the yellow krawk's hand, and put him to the ground with a leg wound. "Good job." I said flabbergasted to my guide before he started to make his way towards the bushes with me in follow.  
  
We walked through them, and once out of sight of all prying eyes, my guide turned to me, and spoke in a clear, pure voice, "He should be here soon, but until then we will wait." And then he reached up and pulled off his head coverings, and then I found that he. was in truth a she. She shook her head, and her hair like head spikes shook with her. "That's a lot better. It was stuffy in that thing." Her scales shone a fine red, and her amber eyes shone with a touch of gold.  
  
"You're Thiowa?" I said with question in my voice. Why would the king's sister want to enrage him?  
  
"Yes." She said with a bit of sparkle. "Who'd you think I was? A common guard?" and her laughter rang out like light in the dark. A laugh that could make even the darkest heart fall instantly in love.  
  
"Actually," I said with some embarrassment, "I thought that you were, and a guy too."  
  
She smiled towards me. "I can see why. That is what I tried to appear as." A small rustle from behind made her turn with a smile. "He's here now." And a green krawk came into view.  
  
"Heshrou?" I said looking at the orange on his face. Their letter spoke true; the princess and the head of the militia would be missed if they left.  
  
"I see you already know both of us." Thiowa smiled. "But we don't yet know your name eyrie?"  
  
"Dorono." I slowly said. "My name is Dorono." 


	4. 4

Part 4  
  
"Dorono is it?" Thiowa smiled, then she looked at Heshrou. "You have gotten the supplies."  
  
"Yes." He said, and he took of a large pack he was wearing on his back, and began to dig through some of the contents. "I have everything you asked for, extra clothes for traveling, food, I presume that we all have the weapons we'll need at our side, and.." a light smile formed on his lips. "I also grabbed something else for you milady." And he took out a beautifully crafted reed pipe. "I crafted it myself Thiowa; awhile back, and I just never found the time or place to present it to you."  
  
Thiowa's amber eyes sparkled, and the gold in them seemed to radiate. "Heshrou. I. I don't know what to say."  
  
"It's okay if you don't like it. I can just take it back." Heshrou said crestfallen.  
  
Thiowa laughed. "It's not that. I love it very much, I just couldn't think of words to describe its beauty." And she gave the ex-head of militia a hug, and I was the only one to see his cheeks flame a little red under the green of his scales.  
  
Suddenly the sound of feet pounding through the underbrush sounded, and Thiowa backed away from Heshrou taking out her raspier, while the later pulled out his sword, and prepared for a fight. I had just enough time to pull out my blade when several trained krawk swordsmen came out at us.  
  
Heshrou, Thiowa and I fought the incoming krawks with skill, but they were pushing us back. Only two were left standing when Heshrou fell down with a dagger imbedded in his right leg, and his arm all bloodied up. The fire krawk standing over him lifted his sword, preparing to strike, but at that instant, a gray shadow jumped on him, hissing and scratching up a storm. Its one yellow eye blazed as if scratched up the fire krawks eyes, keeping it away from Heshrou until I lifted him up off the ground, and then with a wave of its bushy tail, the creature jumped away into the night.  
  
"Come on!" Thiowa yelled waving her raspier over her head. "Let's get out of here!" and she started to run with me behind. I slid to a stop, and looked behind where Heshrou was lagging behind due to his wound.  
  
I ran back to Heshrou, and bent down, "Get on my back Heshrou. That way I can carry you out of here. Otherwise, at this rate, you will surely become captured or killed by any more guards who come!" Heshrou looked at me solemnly, but then he seemed to shrug it off, and jumped onto my back, and I started running.  
  
Soon we had caught up with Thiowa who had turned to wait, and then all three of us were off running as the sound of more krawks pounding through the underbrush behind us could be heard. "Hurry." She hissed, and with a wave of her hand began to run with me right behind.  
  
We ran as fast as was possible in an attempt to escape the krawk guard, but even so, they were gaining ground, quickly. I could have ran faster, but I did not wish to leave Thiowa behind, for she did get me out of the wormhole that I was stuck in, because she was starting to lag back. I slowed my pace to keep up with her, and running next to her side, I allowed myself a chance look behind at our pursuers. There were many, all of them krawks with swords, spears, and other weapons of the sort, and they were in a mad lust to get us.  
  
I turned my head back just in time to have something bound over my head holding a sword firmly in her hands. Her long dark purple hair with lime green stripes waved as she fended off the first of the krawks, and her long black and purple dress waved with the air. The thing that caught my eyes the most was her wings; two large bat wings sprouting from her back. She was a faerie of darkness, though why she would help us, I could not guess.  
  
The darkness faerie faltered slightly in her step, and at that second, another purple form bounded over me yelling "Tron!" and then swung her sword at the krawk who was aiming for the darkness faeries unprotected back, felling the krawk. This second fighter was a zafara wearing a green tunic with gold linings, and knee length blue pants. A cape of black with a golden dragon in a fighting pose design was waving over her shoulder, and had a red ruby imbedded in a gold circle as the emblem on the front. Two blue gloves were pulled over her hands up to her elbows, with cuts to allow the fingers to stick out, and she fought with a superb grace.  
  
The darkness faerie turned to look at us, "Get moving ya slowpokes! We can't hold them off forever!" and with a slight nod, Thiowa, and me with Heshrou on my back ran off through the swamp.  
  
We kept running until we reached a large lake, and then we finally stopped, panting with all of the running and fighting that we did. Heshrou rolled off my back, and then slowly began to make his way to the waters edge. "Where are you going?" Thiowa asked.  
  
"Since I presume we will stay here awhile, I am off to wash out my wound before it gets infected." And then he hobbled the rest of the way to the waters edge, and started to splash water onto his wounds.  
  
"Okay, I'll just get some sleep." Then Thiowa smiled a deep smile. "The first night of freedom."  
  
"Don't be too sure of that." I said to her. "The darkness faerie and the zafara warriors were strong, but if they were beat we could have more krawks on us within an hour if they track worth anything. I think that it is best to post a guard. We can switch every hour or so."  
  
"That is a good idea Dorono." Heshrou said limping up to our side. "I volunteer to go first." He said putting his sword in its sheath. "I doubt that I could sleep right now anyways with this wound, and he pointed at his leg.  
  
"Thanks." I said before laying down to get some sleep myself, which quickly came.  
  
I awoke to a slight shaking from Heshrou, and as I opened my eyes, I mumbled, "Is it my turn for watch?" Heshrou however, put his finger to his lips, and pointed up into the sky next to the full moon.  
  
I looked up just in time to see the form of the darkness faerie pass over it. "It is that faerie." Heshrou said not taking his eye from the shadow that was she. "She may have helped us back there, but I don't know if we can trust her. She is a darkness faerie after all." Her shadow disappeared over the line of trees.  
  
"We may not have a choice." I said looking for a glimpse of not as much her, but the zafara, for she reminded me of Zana, a much more experienced Zana that is. "We will just wait until tomorrow to see how this plays out. Here, you get some sleep, now that I'm awake, I couldn't just go back to sleep. Besides dawn will be here shortly, best to get sleep while you still can." And then with a muttered 'Thanks' Heshrou curled up and went to sleep besides Thiowa. I smiled down at them before looking back up into the sky.  
  
My two hours passed without incident, and the sun was just starting to show its face on the horizon when Thiowa woke up seeing me looking up into the sky teary eyed, with my injured wing at my side. "It must be horrible to not be able to do something you love." She said rubbing my wing. I turned and smiled at her as she pulled out the reed pipe that Heshrou had given her. "Let's see how this plays, huh?" and she laughed her pure laugh, and began to play.  
  
The notes played out perfectly, and it was a beautiful melody though short. "That sounds magnificent." I said. "Heshrou did a great job in his craftsmanship."  
  
"Thanks, and glad that you like it Thiowa." There was Heshrou, awake after all.  
  
Thiowa smiled a deep smile. "Can you too play?" she asked the krawk warrior.  
  
"I've played since I was a young krawkling. I always keep mine around, though it is in no way as beautiful as yours Thiowa." And he pulled out a reed pipe from his pack. "Let us play together milady."  
  
"Of course, let's play 'Dream's Shadow'" and then the two broke out, with perfect harmony, into the song. It was filled with saddening notes, and long pulled out ones. At the very end with a couple of high-pitched notes, Thiowa ended it with a drawn out low. She looked over to me afterwards. "Is everything alright Dorono?" she said with affection, "Your eyes are watering."  
  
"That song brought memories to my mind." I said wiping my eyes with the backside of my paw. "Memories of my friend Zana Taru. If she even lived, I doubt that I will ever see her again."  
  
A sudden loud laugh from the trees behind us turned me around. "You can't be too sure about that, can you?" There was standing the darkness faerie, a smile on her face.  
  
"What are you doing here?!?" I yelled preparing myself for a fight if one was to break out.  
  
"I am only reuniting old friends." She said stepping to the side to reveal the purple zafara who had been concealed behind the darkness faerie's wings.  
  
I suddenly realized why she reminded me of Zana Taru so much. It was because she was Zana Taru, only garmented in an outfit of immense beauty. "Zana." I whispered. "Zana Taru." I said with a smile, and she ran over to me, and jumped in my arms.  
  
"I thought you were dead." She said to me in my ear.  
  
"As did I with you, but all that maters is that we are not."  
  
"What's that?" Zana said backing up. "Look behind you Dorono."  
  
I looked, and there was a small gray creature with a single yellow eye. I recognized it right away as the creature that I had kept seeing. It was a meowclops, and it was slowly walking up to me. I put out my paw, and the meowclops came over, and rubbed against it. "Hey little guy. You've been following me around haven't you?"  
  
"Yup." He said in a childish voice, and I practically jumped at that. I hadn't expected him to respond. But I guess like Tarnox, this meowclops could talk. "I was told to follow you by Valvex. She said that you would get into trouble, and that I would have ta help." Then the meowclops let on a big grin. "My name is Elecwator, what's yours?"  
  
"Um. Dorono." I said, just getting used to this little feline.  
  
"Elecwator." Thiowa said stepping up. "I never got to thank you for delivering my message. Thanks." And she patted him upon the head, and the little kitten gleamed with delight.  
  
Zana Taru looked up to the darkness faerie. "That reminds me, thank you for the cloths, the sword, and thank you for helping me find Dorono."  
  
"No problem." She said in response.  
  
"So this darkness faerie was helping you?" I asked.  
  
"Yes." Zana said. "If it weren't for Tron here, I never would have found you."  
  
"Thanks Tron," I said looking up at the darkness faerie, hoping that I got her name right, "for looking out for Zana. Now that we are together once more," I said turning to face Zana Taru, "We can continue our search for the Flower of Trinifucus." And she nodded to show her approval.  
  
"Did you saw the Flower of Trinifucus?" Tron said looking down at us.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I know where it is, but it is a dangerous path to take."  
  
"I am willing." I said solemnly. "It is the only way."  
  
Tron looked down to the ground. "I can take you only halfway there, then you'll be on your own."  
  
"Why can't you take us all the way there?" Zana asked Tron looking quite confused.  
  
"Well, you see, I am not exactly a model citizen, and after I blew up a few things, Valvex kicked me out, with a 'Never come back' as I walked away." She said with a slight grin.  
  
"So you were kicked out. Great." I said with a small laugh. "Well, take us as far as you can Tron." Then I turned to face Thiowa and Heshrou, and smiled. "Thank you both for rescuing me. May we meet again. hopefully."  
  
"Come on!" Tron yelled to me, for she was already walking off with Zana and young Elecwator, so with a swish of my tail, I ran after them. "We are headed for the coast," she said, "Valvex lives on an island out there, and hopefully by the time we reach the coast your wing will have healed enough for you to fly." She said the later to me especially.  
  
"How'd you know that my wing was damaged?" I asked with a certain gleam in my eye.  
  
"It is!" Zana said looking me over.  
  
"Well, when one can fly herself, she knows when a wing has been damaged, and yours defiantly is." Tron looked it over for a bit. "Are you sure it isn't broken?"  
  
"I hope it isn't." I said truthfully.  
  
"Let me check it out." Tron said, and then without waiting for me to answer, grabbed my wing, and started pinching it here and there, until I let out a big yelp when she hit the bad spot.  
  
"OUCH!!! That hurts faerie." I growled.  
  
"Well it should." She said with a scowl. "Your wing has a fracture, small, but it still is a break, and at the rate you seem to be going, it will never heal correctly."  
  
"But it must." Zana said softly. "We need him to fly me to that island so that we can find the flower, and save my mother's life."  
  
Tron didn't say a thing, and instead reached behind her, and from who-knows- where pulled out a glass vile, and handed it to me. "I always carry one of these around, just in case. Now, drink up Dorono."  
  
"What is it?" I asked.  
  
"A healing potion. I swiped it from a water faeries bag when I got her lost."  
  
'Defiantly not the role model.' I thought as I took a big gulp from the bottle. Expecting a rank taste, I found it to be quite sweet, the taste of freshly picked berries, and something else that I couldn't identify. Satisfied with the taste, I drank about half of what was left in the vile, which wasn't really that much.  
  
Right away I felt a change coming on. My wing first got a tingly sensation, and then it numbed up. I spread out my wing, not feeling any pain, for I couldn't even feel the wing itself, and looked at the hurt spot as a sickening cracking sound could be heard.  
  
"Bone's fixen itself." Tron said as if used to this by now.  
  
"Makes a real nice sound." I said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, kinda like it myself." Tron said, and I looked at her to see if she was serious, but as usual, he face was impossible to read.  
  
I looked back at the wing as the numbing quit and the tingling returned, which soon quit too. "Wow." I said bending my wing around, not even feeling a slight strain. In fact, it felt better then it had ever before felt in my memory.  
  
"It's not over yet Dorono." Tron said with a cocked eye.  
  
"Hm?" I grunted, but then I felt more then saw what the darkness faerie meant. All past cuts and bruises that I had disappeared before me, and I was covered in a sense of well being. The feathers on my wings seamed to fan out, and become larger, and my fur felt as if it had grown an inch. I suddenly felt refreshed from my travels, and felt as if I could run the distance of Neopia without stopping for a breath; I felt. I felt that I could get the Flower of Trinifucus for Zarrel. I knew that I could.  
  
"That is the bonus of drinking such a drink of the faeries." Tron said with a smile on her face. "Come on, the day drags on, and we cannot linger forever. I will take you to the coast, and you will have to find your own way from there."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
I turned, and there was Thiowa running up with Heshrou limping behind, "What is it?"  
  
"What do you think?" Thiowa said with a smile, which I shrugged to. "We are coming too."  
  
"Yes." Heshrou said as he finished limping up to us, and looking down, I saw a trickle of blood coming from his wound.  
  
"Okay." I said, and then remembering the still 1/3 full vile, I tossed it to Heshrou. 'But first, you should drink up this." And with a smile, he took the vile, and we were ready to go once more. 


	5. 5

Part 5  
  
"This really changes our plans." I said as we all walked after Tron, the darkness faerie seeming to walk as quickly as was possible.  
  
"What does?" a newly healed Heshrou asked looking at me.  
  
"You and Thiowa, that's what." I said sounding meaner then I meant to.  
  
"Now why is that?" the ex-krawk militia leader asked.  
  
"I counted on only having to carry one creature on my back, and she being a young zafara. Carrying two full-grown, usually under feed zafara's, meaning your mother and father," I said turning to face Zana, "Is usually hard enough. I don't know if I could manage two well-eaten krawks, plus Zana here."  
  
"It may now be a problem." Tron said to me without looking back.  
  
"How is that?" I asked.  
  
"Well, that healing potion may also have tuned up your muscles, making it possible for you to carry much more weight then you ever could have before." Then she turned to give me a cock-eyed smile, "If not, you can always make a boat."  
  
"But that would take a week at least! Much precious time would be lost."  
  
"Then hope that you can carry more weight." And with that we continued on our track through the swamp of Tisitan.  
  
Tron seemed to know her way well enough, and so we could follow her trough the swamp without any worry of falling into a pit of sinking mud, or end up wandering off into a marsh, and drown before anyone knew that we had disappeared.  
  
During the nights, Tron would find a good place to rest ourselves, and then every morning I would awaken with Elecwator curled up at my side.  
  
"That meowclops has really taken a shining to you." Thiowa said one morning as she woke up to find him asleep upon my head.  
  
"Yeah, he really has." I replied to her, not saying that I had to him.  
  
This routine continued for almost four days until Tron turned to face us with a smile. "The coast is just beyond this last growth of trees and shrubs. After that it will just be warm sand and salt water as far the eye can see." And then she continued to lead us through the last stretch of the swamps of Tisitan, and onto a sandy warm beach.  
  
"It feels so good against my paws." Zana said with a huge smile plastered upon her face.  
  
"Yes." I said, "Though you sink into it as you walk." I said finding the ground to not be solid.  
  
"It is a lot easier to walk once you come nearer to the waters edge." Tron said walking over the sand with ease, almost as if it wasn't even there. "Come on." She said looking as Zana, Heshrou, Thiowa and I tried to grow used to walking on the constantly moving sand.  
  
It was the easiest for Thiowa and Heshrou to adapt, being used to walking across marshes where the ground was almost never solid, and even Zana Taru caught on quickly enough, but I was a different story. No matter how hard I tried to, I couldn't walk straight across without slipping at some point in time, so I stuck to walking on the damp, yet much more firm ground near the waters edge.  
  
Tron walked over to me. "Well, if you want to go and save your friend, you should be off soon, and before you go, you should test to see if you can carry the weight of three."  
  
"Yes," I said, "You're right." And then I called the others over to test.  
  
"Are you sure that you can do this?" Zana asked from my back as I prepared to take off.  
  
"No, but I have to try." And then I started to run. Carrying them wasn't that bad, but flight was different, so as I spread out my wings I hopped, and as I jumped into the air I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't just fall back to earth.  
  
"You're doing it Dorono! You're flying with us all!" Zana yelled over the rush of the air. So I was, I could carry them all. I smiled, and did several more circles, before slowly coming back to the ground with hardly even a pant.  
  
"Well, looks like you can fly." Tron said to me with a smile.  
  
"Yup. Looks like your potion really worked."  
  
"It might not have been the potion, but you." She said, and then she looked off to the distance before returning her gaze to me. "Well, this is where I bid you farewell."  
  
"You mean you're going!" Zana said walking up to Tron.  
  
"Yup. I can't stay forever, I have places to go." And then she spread her wings, they were much larger then I ever would have guessed when they were folded up, and much more beautiful too. "You can leave as soon as you would like, but don't leave too late, cuz if you get tired when flying over the ocean, you are stuck." She pointed due North, "Fly in that direction for a few hours and you will catch sight of the island which holds the flower. Good luck." And then with a flap of her wings, she was flying, and quickly disappeared over the horizon.  
  
"Well, that's that." I said, "Perhaps we will meet her again someday."  
  
"But for now, lets go!" Zana yelled.  
  
"Yeah!" Elecwator shouted jumping up and down, and Heshrou and Thiowa nodded in agreement.  
  
"Okay, get on." I said lowering myself to the ground, and then they all boarded my back except for Elecwator who jumped up onto my head between my ears.  
  
"Mush!" He giggled, and with a shacking of my head, I jumped into the air, and was airborne.  
  
As the wind rushed into my face and I soared over the vast ocean, I knew one thing. I was going to save Zarrel Charmain, and also find out who this Valvex was, and if she could help. I had already gained three new companions who were eager to help, so perhaps this Valvex would too be helpful. Or so I hopped.  
  
The End 


End file.
